bread pudding

i made a bread pudding today.  oh my god it's good.  there's nothing healthy about it.  but i had some crusty leftover french bread and raisins etc. and the aroma as it cooked was so fragrant.  j. and i had a bowl when it was still warm and it was amazing.  

here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar (white or brown, depending on taste preference, i used brown)
3 eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups bread, torn into small pieces (french bread works best)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:

1. In medium saucepan, over medium heat, heat milk (or half & half) just until film forms over top. Combine butter and milk, stirring until butter is melted. Cool to lukewarm.

2. Combine sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 1 minute. Slowly add milk mixture.

3. Place bread in a lightly greased 1 1/2 quart casserole.

4. Sprinkle with raisins if desired. Pour batter on top of bread.

5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes or until set. Serve warm.

i took ella back to russell orchard this week.  the guinea hens (the ones with "poke-o-dots") were chasing each other around the farm yard and jumping over things and hopping up onto the fences, and they were so comical elenora and i just stood there laughing at them.  they have such small heads and such large bodies... then a goat came over to the fence and stuck its neck out of the fence and reached its nose up towards us and cocked its head and ella was laughing all over again.  animals are so funny.

it's pretty cool that we parents get the opportunity to do childish things like laugh at animals--something we probably wouldn't do in front of other adults if we didn't have our children by our sides leading the way.

there was a dad there with his precocious 3-year-old daughter.  i have never seen a father look less enthusiastic about spending the afternoon with his little girl.  he just stood back 10 feet from her and kept saying "chloe" in an annoyed voice.  and she was cute, too.  not a naughty girl.  it's sad, because it was the perfect set-up for him to really have fun with her.  she sort of attached herself to me and ella, which was OK, but also uncomfortable because i then had this strange man following me around while i engaged his daughter in conversation.  i'm so thankful for how involved j. is in elenora's life.  he loves spending time with her.  we're both lucky to be able to know that when we're not with ella she is being taken care of 100% wonderfully by the other parent.